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These Southern California House races are still undecided. See election results updates

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These Southern California House races are still undecided. See election results updates


What to Know

  • Competitive House races remain undecided in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
  • The Southern California contests could play roles in determining the balance of power in the US House of Representatives.
  • Adding to the uncertainty, several California Republicans are representing districts that President Biden won in 2020.

Five of six key U.S. House election races in Southern California that could tip the balance of power remain undecided nearly one week after Election Day.

Over the weekend, more ballots were counted in competitive House races, including one separated by 1 percentage point, in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

As of Monday morning, control over the U.S. House of Representatives still hangs in the balance. There are a handful House of races across the country yet to be called.

Republicans were projected Wednesday to win control of the Senate.

While Democrats hold every major statewide office and outnumber registered Republicans in California 2 to 1, there are pockets of strong support for Republican candidates in parts of Southern California. Adding to the uncertainty, several California Republicans are representing districts that President Biden won in 2020, making the region a wildcard player in the makeup of the U.S. House.

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All 435 U.S. House seats are up for election in 2024. Entering Election Day, Republicans had 220 members to Democrats’ 212. There were three vacancies.

Scroll to see results updated Monday morning.

Democrat Whitesides holds slim lead

George Whitesides, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic, held a slim lead in this district north of Los Angeles, according to results early Monday.

Rep. Mike Garcia won the seat in 2022 by 6 percentage points over Democrat Christy Smith and held on to advance from the March primary. Whitesides finished second in the primary and had 50.9-percent of the votes counted early Monday in one of five California districts that voted for Joe Biden in 2020. Garcia stood at 49.1 percent.

It’s a district that favored Republican Brian Dahle by a slight margin over Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2020 gubernatorial election.

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Garcia, who served in the U.S. navy and U.S. Navy Reserve, was first elected in a special election in 2020. The special election was called after Democrat Katie Hill, who defeated a Republican in 2018, resigned due to a sex scandal. He won re-election over Smith in 2022, 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent.

Whitesides served as NASA chief of staff in the Obama Administration.

The district in northern Los Angeles County includes Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Palmdale and other high desert communities.

Republican Rep. Young Kim defends House seat

GOP Rep. Young Kim will returns for a third term after winning the district two years ago by 14 percentage points. NBC News projected Kim as the winner in her race against former fire captain and union president Joe Kerr last week.

Kim is one of three Korean American women who were the first elected to Congress in 2020, served the California Assembly for two years. Kerr was unsuccessful in his 2022 bid for a state Senate seat and the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2018.

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As of Monday, Kim had 55.9 percent of the vote to Kerr’s 44.1 percent.

The district includes parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties The communities of Aliso Viejo, Corona, Chino Hills, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Tustin and Villa Park in the 40th District.

President Biden won the district by a slim margin in 2020.

President Biden won the district by a slim margin in 2020. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district by a margin of 38 percent to 34 percent, as of September.

Republican Rep. Calvert stretches narrow lead

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert held a nearly 3-percentage point lead early Monday in the race for the Riverside County Congressional district.

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The races is a rematch between the long-time representative and Democrat Will Rollins. The two were separated by less than 5 percentage points in the 2022 election.

Calvert is the longest-serving Republican in the California congressional delegation, having held his seat in this district east of Los Angeles since 1993. Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, gets another chance to unseat the incumbent in November.

Of note: Palm Springs has been added to this district since the last election.

The district also includes Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Rancho Mirage, most of Corona and Palm Desert.

GOP Rep. Steel leads in tight race for 45th House district

Republican Rep. Michelle Steel was leading Democrat Derek Tran — 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent — early Monday in Orange County’s 45th Congressional District.

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Steel easily advanced from the primary in her race against four Democrats, including second-place primary finisher Derek Tran, a veteran and civil rights attorney. Tran had only 16 percent of the vote to Steel’s commanding 55 in the crowded primary.

This district supported Joe Biden for president in 2020, but voted for Republican John Cox over Gavin Newsom in the 2018 gubernatorial election. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans, but Steel defeated a Democrat in 2020 before winning re-election in 2022.

District 45, which re-elected Steel with 52.4% of the vote in 2022, includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties. The district includes Garden Grove, Westminster, Buena Park and Artesia. Parts of Brea, Lakewood, Fullerton and Yorba Linda are in the district that’s shaped like a C and wraps around Anaheim.

Democrat Min takes slim lead in House District 47

This once solidly Republican district that stretches from Huntington and Newport beaches on the Orange County coast and inland to Irvine is the only open House seat among California’s most competitive races. The seat was vacated by Katie Porter, who was running for Senate, but did not advance from the March primary and is not seeking re-election.

Scott Baugh, who lost to Porter by less than 4 percentage points in 2022, and Democratic state Sen. Dave Min are in a tight race with Min holding a 1-percentage point lead early Monday.

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Baugh won the primary with 32 percent of the vote. Min was second at just under 26 percent with the remaining votes divided among other candidates.

The district had been represented by Republicans from the time it was created until Porter defeated then-Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018.

Democrat Rep. Levin leading in defense of 49th District House seat

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Levin held 51.7 percent of the vote in his bid to defend his seat in this Southern California district that includes portions of Orange and San Diego counties. Republican Matt Gunderson, a car dealership owner who failed in a bid for state Senate in 2022, was at 48.3 percent.

Voters chose Levin in 2018 to replace longtime Republican Darrell Issa, who has since returned to Congress in a neighboring district. Levin has since been re-elected twice — by six points in 2020 and 5 points in 2022.

Cities in the district include Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas and the southern Orange County communities of San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel and Ladera Ranch.

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California bill to bar police from taking second job with ICE advances in state Assembly

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California bill to bar police from taking second job with ICE advances in state Assembly


Wednesday, March 4, 2026 4:43AM

CA bill to keep police from moonlighting with ICE advances

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) — A bill that would prevent police officers from moonlighting with federal immigration enforcement agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is advancing through the California State Assembly.

AB 1537 passed the State Assembly’s committee on public safety on Tuesday.

The bill also requires that officers report any offers for secondary employment related to immigration enforcement to their place of work.

Those failing to comply could face decertification as a peace officer in California.

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The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, whose district includes Mar Vista, Ladera Heights, Mid-Wilshire and parts of South Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.



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Can’t win in primary election? Drop out, California Democrats say

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Can’t win in primary election? Drop out, California Democrats say


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California Democrats running for governor, your party has a message for you. Think carefully about your candidacy and campaign ahead of the swiftly approaching filing deadline.

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urged candidates looking to assume the state’s highest office to “honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign” as March 6, the final day to declare candidacy, nears. Hicks said that concerns about the crowded field of Democrat candidates “persist” in an open letter on Tuesday, March 3.

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It comes as five leading candidates, several of which are Democrats — Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell, and Tom Steyer — are in a “virtual tie” per a recent poll, the Desert Sun reported, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

Two Republican candidates pushing out California democrats in the gubernatorial bid may be “implausible,” but “it is not impossible,” Hicks said of the reasoning behind his latest message. Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, both Republicans, lead in RealClear Polling’s average of various polls.

The party chair spotlighted the need for California Democrats’ leadership, particularly over Proposition 50, the voter-approved measure that will temporarily implement new congressional district maps, paving the way for Democrats to secure more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“If in the unlikely event a Democrat failed to proceed to the general election for governor, there could be the potential for depressed Democratic turnout in California in November,” Hicks said. “The result would present a real risk to winning the congressional seats required and imperil Democrats’ chances to retake the House, cut Donald Trump’s term in half, and spare our nation from the pain many have endured since January 2025.”

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During a press conference on March 2, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that when he is out in communities, people aren’t talking about the governor’s race. It’s an observation he called “interesting,” considering voting in the primary election starts in May.

“It’s been hard, I think, to focus on that race,” Newsom said, pointing to the attention on President Donald Trump, redistricting, and other matters.

What exactly is California Democratic Party asking of candidates?

In his open letter, Hicks gave directions to candidates.

First, assess your candidacy and campaign. If you don’t have a viable path to the general election, don’t file to get your name on the ballot for the primary election in June. Also, be prepared to suspend your campaign and endorse another candidate by April 15 if you decide to file but can’t show “meaningful progress towards winning the primary election.”

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When is the next California election? Primary election in 2026

California voters will trim the field of candidates for governor on June 2. Only the two candidates who receive the most votes, regardless of party preference, will move on to the November election.  

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.



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Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students

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Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students


The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a California law that limited when schools could require staff to disclose a student’s gender identity, clearing the way for schools to tell parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the students’ approval.

Rear view of multiracial students with hands raised in classroom at high school

The decision came after religious parents and educators, represented by the Thomas More Society, challenged California school policies aimed at preventing staff from disclosing a student’s gender identity.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean and professor of law at the University of California Berkeley School of Law, said the ruling favors parents’ ability to be informed. “The Supreme Court today rules in favor of the claim of parents to be able to know the gender identity and gender pronoun of the children,” Chemerinsky said.

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FILE:{ }transgender flag against blue sky background { }(Photo: AdobeStock)

FILE:{ }transgender flag against blue sky background { }(Photo: AdobeStock)

The decision temporarily blocks a state law that bans automatic parental notification requirements if students change their pronouns or gender expression at school. The Thomas More Society called the decision a major victory for parents, saying the court found California’s policy likely violates constitutional rights.

Chemerinsky said the Supreme Court’s action is an emergency ruling. “This law is now put on hold. So what this means is that schools can require that teachers and other staff inform parents of the gender identity or gender pronouns of children,” he said.

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Kathie Moehlig, founder and executive director of Trans Family Support Services, said she is concerned about how the ruling could affect students who do not have supportive families.

“I am really concerned about our kids that do come from these non affirming homes, that they know that they’re going to get in trouble, that they’re going to possibly have violence brought against them possibly kicked out of their homes,” Moehlig said.

Moehlig said parents should eventually know, but that the conversation should happen when a student feels safe. “Our students are going to be less inclined to confide in any adults that might be able to help to get them access to mental healthcare, to a support system. They may still tell their peers but they’re certainly not going to tell any other adult,” she said.

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Equality California, a LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, shared a statement:

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court shadow docket ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta regarding California’s student privacy protections for transgender youth. Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in this case is deeply disturbing. By stepping in on an emergency basis, the Court has effectively upended California’s student privacy protections without hearing full arguments and before the judicial process has run its course. While not surprising, this move reflects a dangerous willingness to short-circuit the established judicial process to dismantle protections for transgender youth. While this case continues to be litigated, the ruling revives Judge Benitez’s prior decision, which broadly targets numerous California laws protecting transgender and gender-nonconforming students — threatening critical safeguards that prevent forced outing and allow educators to respect a student’s affirmed name and pronouns at school. These protections exist for one reason: to keep students safe and ensure schools remain places where young people can learn and thrive without fear. To be clear: today’s decision does not impact California’s SAFETY Act, which prohibits school districts from adopting policies that forcibly out transgender students. The SAFETY Act remains in full effect, and we will continue defending it. Transgender youth deserve dignity, safety, and the freedom to learn without fear. We will never stop fighting for transgender youth and their families. Equality California will continue working with parents, educators, and advocates to ensure schools remain safe, welcoming, and focused on the success and well-being of every student.

The case now returns to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which will decide whether the California law is constitutional.



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